Babers a Finalist for 2018 George Munger Award
12/10/2018 4:22:00 PM | Football
PHILADELPHIA – Syracuse head football coach Dino Babers has been voted one of the six finalists for the George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year Award.
Babers joins Bill Clark (UAB), Brian Kelly (Notre Dame), Mike Leach (Washington, State), Jeff Monken (Army West Point) and Nick Saban (Alabama) as finalists for the award, which is presented by the Maxwell Football Club.
The Munger Award is the second national coach of the year honor Babers has been selected as a finalist for. Last week, he was named a finalist for the Dodd Trophy, which recognizes coaches of programs that excel in scholarship, leadership and integrity, both on and off the field.
The Orange have had a breakthrough season in Babers' third year at the helm. The Orange are 9-3 overall and have earned a berth opposite No. 15 West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl. Syracuse placed second in the ACC Atlantic Division with a 6-2 league record after being picked to finish last on its side of the conference in the preseason.
Syracuse also attained its first top-25 ranking in 17 years in 2018. The Orange broke into the Associated Press Top 25 and Amway Coaches' Poll on Oct. 28, rising to as high as No. 12 in late November. The Orange, currently No. 17 in the both polls, are seeking just the seventh 10-win season in school history.
In addition, Syracuse appeared in all six releases of the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings. The Orange were No. 20 in the committee's final poll of the year, released on Dec. 2.
One of the most improved teams in the country, Syracuse is one of three Power-Five teams, along with Baylor and Florida, to increase its win total by five from last season. Of the Orange's three losses, two are to teams currently in the top four of the CFP rankings – No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Notre Dame.
Syracuse boasts one of the most opportunistic defenses and complete special teams units in the country. The Orange are in the top 10 nationally in third-down defense (6th - .281), fumbles recovered (t-3rd - 13), interceptions (t-5th - 17), turnover margin (t-3rd - +1.17) and turnovers gained (t-1st - 30). In ESPN's special teams efficiency ratings, Syracuse is tied for sixth nationally and ranks second among Power-Five teams with mark of 68.8.
Offensively, Syracuse is second in the ACC in scoring offense (40.8) and third in total offense (468.8). The Orange have scored at least 50 points a school-record five times, and have scored 40+ points in eight of their 12 regular-season contests.
Voting for the recipient of this year's Munger Award opens tomorrow. Eligible voters include NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and football sports information directors, Maxwell Football Club members and selected national media. The winner will be announced on Jan. 3, 2019, and the award will be formally presented at the 82nd Maxwell Awards Gala on March 8, 2019 at the Tropicana Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.
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